


firsts

by freckledshoulderblades



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/F, Well - Freeform, a bit at least, and a decent drabble, and in doing so trimming this down to a manageable length, enjoy this! it's gay!!, this is basically an attempt to clean out my wip folder, this is the fluffiest shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 04:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13651455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledshoulderblades/pseuds/freckledshoulderblades
Summary: connected drabbles on the progression of a relationship





	firsts

To Tifa's credit, Aerith made a hell of an entrance when they met in Don Corneo's mansion.

The dress had a lot to do with it - a deep vibrant red with a slit up to her hip, hair pulled back and lips a rosy red. Tifa had been on edge immediately, she wan't quite ready to accept her role in the plan she'd made with Barret earlier.

But then she'd smiled, easy and warm, and Tifa had relaxed despite herself.

"Are you Tifa?" she'd asked, and her voice matched her smile - something sweet and light despite their surroundings.

"Yeah. Who are you?" she'd replied, and the woman had stepped forward, further into the light.

The dim flourescent had cast a halo of light around her and Tifa almost laughed at the implication.

"I'm Aerith. I came with Cloud to save you."

 

  
She likes Aerith, she decides later that day. They're taking refuge at the church in Sector Five after their escape from the sewers, spending the time to recuperate from their wounds.

Well, Tifa and Aerith are. Cloud, as a former member of SOLDIER, is already patched up and ready to go, pacing the interior with a grim expression.

"Is he always like this?" Aerith whispers as she tends her garden.

Tifa watches her from a pew. "Just about." Aerith laughs softly and Tifa smiles in return.

"What are they?" she asks. Aerith reaches over to a particularly long stem and snaps it at the base, holding it out to Tifa. She blushes and accepts the flower, admiring the brilliant white petals.

Aerith takes a seat on the pew in front of Tifa's, arms and head resting on the back. "They're calla lilies." She looks down for a moment. "They were my mother's favorite." she says, and it sounds quiet and far away.

"They're beautiful." Tifa reaches forward to place a hand on her arm and hesitates. I've known her for half a day, she thinks, and pulls her arm back. She settles for tucking the flower behind her ear.

"How do I look?"

Aerith looks up and smiles again, brilliance practically radiating from her. "You look lovely."

 

  
Their escape from Midgar is poorly planned and poorly executed and Tifa wants to be furious about it but it's a bit difficult with Aerith picking glass out of her arm and looking like someone kicked her.

Which, in all fairness, happened a few times already. SOLDIER didn't exactly play nice in the best of times.

Aerith finishes cleaning her wounds, binding them tight and looking over Tifa with tired eyes.

Tifa pushes past her hesitance and touches her shoulder. Aerith focuses on her momentarily before her eyes dart away.

"Hey," she says, and Aerith tries to stand. Tifa lets her arm fall to the Cetra's wrist, tugging lightly. "Aerith, come on."

She hears a sigh. "Yeah, okay."

Tifa tugs her down into an awkward one-armed hug, rubbing her back as well as she can given their position. Aerith softens after a moment, all but falling into Tifa's arms. She hears her mumble something into her chest and she pulls back just far enough to look at her head on.

"I'm sorry," Aerith whispers, and Tifa can see her emerald eyes are brimming with tears. Her lower lip pouts, wobbling when she sniffs. "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault," she babbles, and fat tears roll down her rapidly reddening cheeks.

"Whoa, hey!" Tifa grabs her by the shoulders, wincing at the pain in her arm. "Listen, it's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

Aerith sniffs and nods, her hair falling into her face. Tifa pushes it back behind her ears, framing her face with her wrapped hands. 

"ShinRa is after you because you're different. Because you were born different, right?"

The Cetra nods again. Tifa's grip tightens slightly as she forces her to look Tifa in the face.

"You didn't choose to be born. You didn't choose to be who you are. So it isn't your fault."

There's a brief moment of silence as she considers Tifa's words, lips trembling. She seems to come to some sort of decision though, because she breathes deep and throws herself around Tifa again.

Tifa pats her on the back a few times, before she settles with simply rubbing.

 

  
Somewhere between the escape from Midgar and Junon, Tifa realizes she's in love.

It comes slowly, as those things tend to do, with little flips of chestnut hair, slow smiles in the evening, the musical jingle of metal bracelets. After the realization, she starts to notice things differently. How the curve of her neck looks in the low firelight, how her eyes droop slightly when she looks at Tifa, how when Tifa trains she's always ten steps back - offering water or company.

Fairly soon after her epiphany, she avoids Aerith if at all possible.

Cloud notices first - he's scarily in tune with the emotions in the group and after Aerith, he's the second choice for mediator. He stalks up next to her one day, mako blue eyes piercing.

"Why." he says, and Tifa groans.

"Listen, just leave it." she replies. Tifa continues wrapping her hands and turns her back to him.

He folds his arms together. "It's affecting the group."

She seriously considers punching him for a second.

"I'll get over it." She mutters, falling into her stance. Tifa stares the training dummy down like it personally offended her.

Cloud remains silent for a moment, watching her stocky frame absolutely destroy the dummy in a few seconds flat.

"We have to pay for those." he comments dryly. She faces him with a grin and throws up her fists.

"Spar with me." It's not a request so much as a demand, and he sighs.

"Yeah, alright." He sinks the Buster Sword into the grass, removing his spiked gloves. She laughs.

"Worried I can't take it?" she taunts.

He fixes her with a hard stare. "You're not SOLDIER."

She tenses. "And?" she challenges, stance and tone changing into something a little more offensive.

Cloud closes his eyes, sighing heavily. He doesn't manage to dodge the first punch Tifa throws his way.

 

  
"Penny for your thoughts?"

Aerith looks up from the bonfire into Tifa's eyes, ducking her head down quickly. "Nothing important." she says, and the cheeriness sounds fake, forced.

Tifa sits next to her, bumping their legs together. "Saw you talking to Cloud." she responds.

A light flush creeps up Aerith's neck. "No, it's nothing. Nothing like that." 

"I, gods, I don't even like him like that." Her cheeks grow an even brighter red than before and she groans, covering her face with her hands.

Tifa laughs, leans into her. "I'm just messing with you."

"I haven't seen you all day, though." she muses, running a hand through her black hair. She furrows her brow for a second before her face lights up. "You were talking to the elders! How did that go?"

Aerith buries her head further into her hands with a sigh. Tifa frowns.

"I don't...really wanna talk about it."

Tifa hums. "Alright."

Aerith eventually removes her head from her hands in favor of leaning it on Tifa's shoulder. Tifa wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her close, humming nonsensically.

"You know," Aerith says some time later, "I really _don't_ like Cloud like that."

"I see." Tifa says, unclear as to where she's going with this.

"So," Aerith continues, "If you wanted to try something...?" Her voice sounds small and timid. "You could, I mean. Do something. About that."

"I...see?" Tifa repeats, extremely confused.

Aerith sits up from her position at Tifa's side, her face beet red, eyes flicking between Tifa's eyes and her lips. "And I'd be fine with it! Because I don't like him like that at all."

Tifa licks her lips. "Who _do_ you like?" Her heart hammers in her chest.

The brunette stands suddenly, fists clenched. "Uhm! I'm feeling a bit tired." she squeaks, and before Tifa can stand she's halfway across the plateau. Tifa chases her down with her heart thudding so loud she can hardly hear for the rush of blood in her ears and grabs her wrist.

Aerith whips around and Tifa crowds her up against the rock wall just behind the merchant stand, framing her slim body with her arms. The flush on Aerith's face deepens to a rich scarlet and Tifa's head feels heady with anticipation.

"Aerith," she whispers, her voice low, "Who do you like?"

Tifa watches Aerith bite her lip as emerald eyes glance down to Tifa's mouth and she can hardly _breathe_ for the possibility in front of her.

She leans in slowly, dark hair cascading over her toned shoulders, and noses at Aerith's jaw. The healer whimpers, her hands falling to Tifa's waist. Tifa kisses her neck lightly, backing away and up just enough to press their foreheads together.

"Aerith." she breathes, and Aerith closes the distance between them with a small sigh.

Tifa feels drunk as her lips move against Aerith's, her hands leaving the stone to caress the healer's cheeks.

They part a moment later, breathing heavy, and Aerith chokes out a surprised laugh. Tifa presses her head against the taller woman's cheek, smiling madly.

"Hi there." Aerith whispers.

Tifa leans back in to peck her gently on the lips. "Hey there."

**Author's Note:**

> part of my one person journey to expand the pool of AerTi fics on this hellsite  
> r&r, comments are appreciated and


End file.
